Can I still brew 7-8 year old wine kits?

[isw2000]

New to home winemaking, I have 2 old red wine kits from my friend, possibly 7 to 8 years old, ingredient packages are bad now, but the grape juice bags look okay. Does anyone know, if I get the new packages, can I still brew these old wine kits? Will that actually turn in better wine because of aging, I hope?

Thanks.

 

[Tom]

You are right in tossing the yeast only.
Get new yeast. If the concentrate is good thats all you need as the other powders should be OK as there is no shelf life on those
1st how big of a kit is it?
2nd open the bag and smell and taste. If it smells or has a vinegar taste toss it.
No it will not be better because thats not aging.

 

[Wade E]

I would surely toss the yeast in the trash. I would give the wines a try as its only time invested and a simple packet of yeast unless like Tom said it s,ells funny when opened. If it smells good give it a try.

 

[isw2000]

One is Cellar Classic 16.5kg 45day kit, another is Reserve Du Chateau 8kg 4week kit. Are they good stuff? I will give them a try, don't want to see them wasted.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[cpfan]

lsw:

Personally I would not bother to make kits that old. Heck I wouldn't if they were just two years old. But there's a lot of people who would.

Since you're new to wine making and presumably have no home made wine ready to drink, I would suggest making a fresh kit first. Then you'll have some wine to drink. Then make the old kits. Waiting another month won't make any difference.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

If you have no wine then I would do as CP says an make 1 you know is good and then let that age while you do one of these.

 

[smurfe]

I'd make them to. All your gonna be out is your time and the cost of a pack of yeast. My Mom canned everything when I was a kid. She also made a fantastic strawberry freezer jam. I remember once eating a jar of the jam that was 20 years old that was found in the bottom of the deep freeze that was buried in the frost and ice. I thawed it and tasted it. Tasted as good as the day it was made. If it don't smell and taste like vinegar and hadn't turned a brownish color. Give it a shot.

 

[cpfan]

I'd make them to. All your gonna be out is your time and the cost of a pack of yeast. My Mom canned everything when I was a kid. She also made a fantastic strawberry freezer jam. I remember once eating a jar of the jam that was 20 years old that was found in the bottom of the deep freeze that was buried in the frost and ice. I thawed it and tasted it. Tasted as good as the day it was made. If it don't smell and taste like vinegar and hadn't turned a brownish color. Give it a shot.

Yeah Smurfe, but most beginner wine makers only have one carboy (unlike me & you). So they're unlikely to make three kits at once. So probably 10 weeks minimum before a fresh kit is bought and started.

Thats why I say get a fresh one going first.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

I agree with that, me and you wouldnt care as we have plenty of wine but for someone who has none this time is is forever.

 

[isw2000]

I actually started a fresh kit last week just to see what it should be, today I racked it into carboy, so far so good.

Question here, everyone says I only need new yeast, how about others like Betonite, Potassium Metabisulphite, and Potassium Sorbate? Can I use them since they are just chemical stuff? I defintely need new fining agent, the old one has crystalized.

 

[cpfan]

lsw:

I have no idea about the additives in the Reserve du Chateau. But that Cellar Classic will have dreadful bentonite. If it's a red, it will be so hard to rehydrate. I hated the Cellar Classic bentonite 7 years ago. That's why I stopped selling Cellar Classic in my store. Fortunately, RJS updated the bentonite.

I guess if the additives look good, they'll be OK; however, I know that some folks say that potassium metabisulphite (K-meta) and potassium sorbate have a shelf life. You can get by without the sorbate if you don't plan to sweeten the wine.

Maybe one of your local retailers can sell you some fresh additives when you get the yeast.

Steve